Paper spacing device



Oct. 9, 1934.

A. DICKE Er Al. 1,976,603

PAPER SPACING DEVICE Filed June 1'7, 1950 Patented Oct. 9, 1934 LUNITEDSTATES PATENT? OFFICE PAPER SPACING DEVICE poration of New YorkApplication June 17, 1930, Serial No. 461,717 In Germany July 2, 1929 8Claims.

This invention relates to printing mechanisms and more particularly tothe paper feeding mechanisms therefor whereby the paper may be spaced inpredetermined amounts.

The principal object of this invention is to provide adjustable paperspacing devices to automatically advance a record sheet to apredetermined position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for automaticallyadvancing a record sheet to a predetermined position subsequent to atotaling operation of the machine.

'Ihe record may be in the form of a continuous tape and the apparatusmay be so constructed that when all the separate amounts have beenautomatically entered upon the record, totaling operations take place.During such totaling operations the tape is moved the distance of theunused part of the finished form and beyond the heading or head space ofthe following form.

The invention provides that the platen which carries the record tape,presents during one revolution thereof the total number of itemreceiving lines of a form step by step and during totaling the tape isspaced to complete the uncompleted portion of such revolution plus theadjusted distance required for head spacing the next form.

Various other objects and advantages of our invention will be obviousfrom the following particular description of one form of mechanismembodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanyingdrawing; and the invention also constitutes certain new and novelfeatures of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forthand claimed. Y

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the adjustable electrical device fordetermining the length of feed on totaling operations.

Fig. 2 illustrates a further modification of an electrical device fordetermining the length of the feed.

The record sheet is adapted to be fed by a platen 29 (Fig, 1) mounted ona suitably supported shaft 26. 'I'he platen 29 is advanced step-by-stepas items are listed upon the record strip by a pawl 60 pivotally carriedby an arm 61 rotatably mounted on the shaft 26 cooperating with aratchet 62 secured to the shaft 26. The arm 61 ate the arm 61,consequently none is illustrated.'

is given an oscillatory movement at each iteml At each step-by-steprotation of the platen 29 the stop 28 thereon moves away from the stop27 on the gear 25 so that when this gear is rotated one completerotation on total taking operations n the stop 27 picks up the stop 28and rotates the 60 platen forwardly to its normal position, thus feedingthe record sheet a distance determined by the adjustable electricaldevice illustrated in Figure 1 or the modified embodiment thereof i1-lustrated in Figure 2.

Fig. 1 shows an electrical embodiment of the invention. A commutator 40may be secured upon a shaft 2 and caused to make a complete revolutionduring the operation of the totaling mecha- A nism. In order to rotatethe commutator 40, a gear 14a also secured to the shaft 2 meshes withthe gear 13 secured on a total taking shaft 14. This shaft makes onecomplete rotation at each total taking operation of the machine. Anysuitable device may be employed to drive the shaft I 14, none thereforebeing illustrated. The commutator is provided with a stepped contactsegment 41 of conducting material, electrically connected to a. ring41a. A brush 42 is shown diagrammatically as being adjustable axially tocooperate with 30 the various steps of the commutator. The duration ofcontact between brush 42 and segment 41 determines the length of feed inthe following manner. A gear 23 and a ratchet 4A rigidly joined by a hubare frictionally mounted on shaft 2 and are normally restrained againstturning therewith by a latch 45. During the rotation of commutator 40the closure of the circuit by brush 42 energizes magnet 43, rocks latch45 out of engagement with the ratchet 44 and thus permits gears 23 and25 to actuate the platen 29 through stops 27 and 28 in a familiarmanner.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modified form of an electrical embodiment of theinvention wherein the brush 42 is adjustable circumferentially upon acommutator 40 which is shown in development. The brush is adjustable toconnect any one of a series of inserts 39 with a common ring 49. Apointer 48 cooperates with graduations 47 to in- 100 dicate the settingofthe brush 42'. The inserts are connected electrically' with conductorstrips 53 which are in line with xed brushes 52. The strips 53 are ofvarying lengths and consequently, upon rotation of the commutator, theymaintain the circuit through ,magnet 43' for various periods for thepurpose stated above. This circuit may be from a. source 51 to themagnet 43', wire 50, ring 49, brush 42', the selected insert to the n.

corresponding strip 53, brush 52, and back to source.

The commutator (Fig. 2) may be secured to or from the circumferentialsurface of a cylinder. As this cylinder rotates in the direction of thearrow the leading ends of the strips 53, which are of progressivelydifferent lengths, come successively into contact with their brushes 52.The brush 42' is mounted to rotate with the commutator 40' but isadjustable circumferentially about said commutator to bridge the gapbetween the ring 49 and any one of the inserts 39.

As the commutator rotates the circuit through the magnet 43' iscompleted and this magnet is ener ized at the time the selected strip 53comes into contact with its particular brush 52. This removes the latch45 from the ratchet 44 thus permitting rotation of the platen by itsdrive vmechanism-so long as the selected strip 53 is in contact with itsbrush 52. When the selected strip 53 moves out of contact with the brushl52 the circuit through the magnet 43 is opened deenergizing the magnetand allowing the latch 45 to reengage the ratchet 44 to arrest rotationof the platen, the amount of rotation imparted to said platen beingdetermined by the length of the selected strip 53.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the invention, it will be understood that variousomissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of thedevice illustrated and in its operation may be'y madel by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a platen,of a driving means therefor adapted to frictionally drive said platen, acommutator having contact strips of various lengths thereon, anadjustable brush cooperating therewith to selectively complete anelectric circuit including one of said strips, a magnet in said circuit,and means controlled by said magnet for permitting said-driving means tofrictionally drive said platen.

2. In a machine of the class described having a platen roll and atotaling mechanism, the combination of a brake mechanism and a manuallyadjustable commutator device including a plurality of contact strips ofvarious lengths associated with said totaling mechanism, said brakemechanism being adapted to permit said totaling mechanism to advancesaid platen roll under control of said commutator device.

3. In a'machine oi the class described capable of being controlled tomake item entering and total taking operations, -the combination with aplaten adapted to be rotated step-by-step on item entering operations,of a normally idle drive means to rotate the platen on total takingoperations, a commutator-including contacts of different lengths, anadjustable brush cooperating with said commutator, and means operatedunder the control of said commutator to render the driving means activeon total taking operations to rotate trical circuit, a magnet in thecircuit, means conthe platen a distance commensurate with the 4. In amachine of the class described capable of being controlled to make itementering and total-taking' operations, a combination with a platenadapted to be rotated step-by-step on item entering operations, of anormally restrained drive means to rotate the platen a variable distanceon total taking operations, a commutator adapted to rotate on totaltaking operations, means controlled by the commutator to release thedrive means, and an adjustable brush cooperating withY the commutator todetermine the duration of effectiveness of the drive means.` f

5. In an accounting machine capable of item entering and total takingoperations, the combination with a platen adapted to be spacedas anincident to item entering operations, of normally idle means to drivethe platen a variable distance on total taking operations, electricallycontrolled ,means to restrain the drive means, a stepped cornmutatorrotated as an incident to total taking operations, and means includingan electromagnet and an adjustable brush cooperating with the commutatorto operate the restraining means to permit the drive means to rotate theplaten to distance determined by thesetting of the brush.

6. In a machine of the class described capable of item entering andtotal taking operations, said machine having a rotatably mounted platenadapted to be line-spaced as an incident to item entering operations,the combination of the normally idle drive means to frictionally rotatethe platen a variable distance on total taking operations, means torestrain the drive means on item entering operations, electromagneticmeans to render the restraining means ineffective, a commutator having aplurality of diierentially spaced contacts, said commutator beingadapted to be rotated as an incident to total taking operations, and amanipulative brush cooperating with the commutator to determine theextent of rotation oi? the platen on total taking operation.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a platen,and driving means therefor, of a commutator having a plurality ofdifferent length contacts thereon, an adjustable brush to selectivelyplace the contacts in an electrolled by the magnet to normally preventthe drive means from rotating the platen and to permit the drive meansto rotate the platen upon energization of the magnet an extentdetermined by the length of the selected contact.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a platen,and driving means therefor, of a commutator having a plurality ofdifferent length contacts thereon, means to selectively place thecontacts in an electrical circuit, a magnet in said circuit, and meanscontrolled by the magnet to release the drive means to rotate the platenfor a duration determined by the length of the selected contact.

ALFRED DICKE.

ERICH RICHTER. DIEDRICH SCHUMACHER.

